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play with, considering they were Old Order Amish. There certainly weren’t any motorized vehicles on their farm.
    â€œ Wie geht’s, Schweschder? ” Lucy came bounding up the dirt lane to the side steps and onto the porch. She wore a pretty green dress and matching apron, her light brown hair done up neatly in a bun at the base of her neck. Her blue-green eyes sparkled as she went to hug Jesse, but she frowned at the sight of his truck. “ Ach , where’d this come from?”
    Martie waved off the question. “Well, you’re right on time, ain’t ya?”
    â€œWould’ve been here sooner, but Eppie Stoltzfus spotted me walkin’—wanted to give me a lift, like usual. But I preferred to walk. Naturally, she wanted me to tell you somethin’.”
    Martie groaned.
    â€œShe wants to know why you didn’t use her story ’bout that terrible saw . . . the one she says must’ve had it in for two different Amish carpenters.”
    Shaking her head, Martie asked, “Which one was this?” Eppie has so many stories. . . .
    â€œA couple months ago, her neighbor got his hand caught in a saw, and then his own son did the same thing a few hours later on the selfsame day.”
    â€œI must’ve blocked it out of my memory.” Martie grimaced. “Doubt the readers want the gory details Eppie’s so eager to share.”
    â€œShe has the most hair-raisin’ gossip, ain’t?”
    Martie had to laugh.
    Lucy was nodding. “I tried to steer the conversation to something else, like you do around Eppie. But she seemed real determined to tell me this directly. ‘It’s never too late to add it, even though it’s after the fact,’ she told me.”
    Martie glanced at Jesse, who’d perked up as if listening, but just as quickly he returned to playing with his truck.
    Leaning over, Lucy kissed Josh’s warm, plump cheek. “Just wanted you to know why I wasn’t here sooner. Oh, and I need to run over to market later and pick up a few things for Mamm.”
    â€œYou’ll walk clear to Bird-in-Hand?” Martie lifted Josh onto her lap, and he leaned against her bosom, tugging on her apron bodice.
    â€œOh, I’ll get a lift from someone, I ’spect, sooner or later.”
    â€œWith Eppie, maybe?”
    They laughed once more, till Martie noticed Lucy staring at the bright blue truck again.
    â€œAin’t nothin’ to worry ’bout,” Martie said softly, nodding toward the truck as she turned Josh around to face his Aendi.
    Lucy tousled Jesse’s hair. “You’re growin’ ever so fast!”
    Martie moved Josh onto her knee. “It’s been awful hard to wean this one,” she muttered. “He’s such a Mamma’s boy.”
    Lucy smiled and led Jesse from the porch into the house. Martie followed with Josh and set him in his high chair at the table with some small wooden blocks. She went to the fridge and poured a bit of milk into a sippy cup and set it down in front of her younger son, who winced but eventually reached for it and sucked away.
    â€œOh, don’t let me forget to give you some extra linens and things I found in my closet upstairs. I have a-plenty.” Martie paused, hoping enough time had passed. “Maybe you could use them for your hope chest,” she added.
    â€œ Denki , but I really don’t need anything more,” Lucy said.“Mamm’s worried I’ll be a Maidel, ya know. Like that would be an awful thing.”
    â€œAw, Lucy.” Martie was sorry for bringing it up and said so.
    Lucy changed the subject right quick, moving to the counter. “It’s gut of you to core and quarter the apples already.” She placed them in a large kettle and slowly added the cider, then put the lid on to wait for it to simmer. “Looks like we’re not puttin’ up near as much as the twins and I helped Mammi